Viewfinder
by A Dreamer Always
Summary: Uchiha Sasuke was a professional photographer by 19, in drug rehab by 24, and is now 3 years sober, with no idea of what he's doing. So Naruto offers him a job, teaching photography at the Academy. Reluctantly, Sasuke agrees, and now he can't stop thinking of the new Classical Literature teacher, Hyuga Hinata, with her pale eyes and silk-soft voice.
1. Chapter 1

_A/N: Wow, wow, wow, would you look at that! Another story I probably won't finish for a very long time! Actually, that's a lie, I've got the first 3 chapters already on my computer. And they're all pretty short, about 4 to 5 pages each. This time however, they follow a pretty decent plotline! I think you'll actually enjoy this story, as it's a deviation from what I normally do. A reader told me she liked my characterization for Sasuke in The Reward of Hard Work, and honestly, I like him too. Sasuke may have been a brooding character, but the dude has smiled more than once in his lifetime._

_So I decided to write another story with a Sasuke that had already dealt with all his bullshit and was now trying to move on with his life. Albeit, this Sasuke is a little more harsh, a little more wary of the world around him, but he's got a confidence that he wasn't capable of when he was angry and heartbroken and bitching over every little thing that went wrong. Also, he's a photographer. _

_So please, enjoy my new story - Viewfinder._

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**Chapter One: Broken Cameras Can Be Repaired**

"Uchiha Sasuke, Uchiha Sasuke, please, stop and talk, just for a few moments! Just answer one question, please?"

Sasuke stopped, piercing the cameraman with a hard look. "I'm not exactly in the mood for this, if you hadn't noticed."

"Y-yeah, I can see that!" the cameraman seemed pleased enough to get a shot of him. Sasuke shifted his shopping bag to his other hand, uncomfortable in front of the camera after having spent so many years away from it. "I just wanted to ask you a question, you know, because nobody has seen you around for a while."

He glanced away, sighing. "This isn't going to be another, 'tell us why you left us' thing, is it? I'm tired of explaining my actions to everyone."

"No, nah man! I just wanted to know why you came back." The cameraman inched closer and Sasuke glanced away, giving the camera his profile. "I mean, you were gone for so long, nobody expected you to come back at all. A lot of people thought you had managed to find Itachi and were staying with him –"

"I wish," Sasuke muttered, shaking his head. "I came back because it was my responsibility. I fucked up, I had to make what I had done right." He waved the man off, turning on his heel. "You asked me for one question, I answered one question. I have places to be."

"Thanks man, I mean it! You look great, you know? I mean you came back all strung out and no one would think you'd recover, but you look great." The cameraman held his breath as Sasuke stopped mid-step. Slowly, he looked over his shoulder at the man, his charcoal-gray eyes dark and unreadable. The cameraman decided to press forward, saying in a cheerful tone, "A lot of people worried about you, man! Like the whole public was concerned you wouldn't get through detox."

Sasuke nodded slowly, still watching him. "It was... hard. Detoxing. But it was necessary for a full recovery." He turned back around just as slowly, his hands shoved into the pockets of his leather jacket, the small shopping bag swaying gently. "I need to get going. No more questions; I don't have anything else to say to you."

"Alright man, and thanks for the scoop!"

.

.

Naruto grinned brightly, watching as Sasuke approached his booth in the diner. "Hey, you bastard. You're late!"

"I wouldn't have been hadn't some guy with a camera stopped me." He emptied his pockets of a wallet and a pack of cigarettes with a sigh. "Shit – he spotted me so easily. Now they're gonna be all over my goddamn back. I shouldn't have said anything."

"Wait, you actually stopped to talk to the guy?" Naruto arched an eyebrow, not risking reaching for his coffee. As much as he enjoyed hot lattes, he always managed to burn his tongue, and he had learned to wait a few minutes longer than should have been necessary to let it cool down further. "I thought you didn't talk to people not in your innermost circle."

Sasuke shot him a glare, pulling money out of his wallet. "Whatever, idiot. I don't have to take your bullshit and you know I won't."

"Right, well. You want a slice of pie? Today's special is coconut cream and it is to die for. In fact..." He rubbed his hands together, licking his lips comically as a waitress placed a plate with pie and vanilla ice-cream in front of him. "I missed this from the states. Pie in Japan just isn't the same. But God, do they _try_." He sank his fork into the edge and succeeded in cutting a large piece for himself, immediately stuffing it into his mouth. "Oh, oh my God, Sasuke, this is delicious. It just melts in your mouth. It's so good –"

"I don't want any fucking pie, Naruto. I just want a coffee." Sasuke didn't bother to hid his disdain as Naruto took yet another large bit of the dessert, the waitress pouring him a cup of black coffee. "How can you eat that much sugar so early in the damn morning? It's barely even eleven."

"Sometimes you just have to indulge yourself, man." Naruto began on the ice-cream, scooping up bits of flaky crust as well. "But you'd know a lot about that, wouldn't you?"

Sasuke couldn't even tell if the comment was meant to be a dig at his drug abuse or if it was Naruto being a smart-ass, and he shrugged it off. He couldn't keep running from that part of his past any longer. Becoming a professional photographer at the age of nineteen had allowed him access to world most didn't normally transpire, and it had warped him, taken his innocent little heart and smashed into the ground. He had done the drugs, he had nearly killed himself on several occasions, and after three years of sobriety, he was finally managing to move on his with life. "Anyway, why did you call me out so early to pick up this damn thing?"

He placed the shopping bag on the table in front of Naruto."They didn't even question me coming to get it, and I'm sure the clerk in there hates me."

"That crazy redhead with the glasses, right?" Naruto laughed as he reached for his coffee. "Yeah, Karin is a piece of work. I once touched a plasma screen and she about bit my head off. But she knows what she's talking about. And she's got a real good eye for cameras." He jerked his chin toward the bag, grinning smugly. "Go ahead and unwrap your best present ever, courtesy of your best _friend_ ever."

Sasuke furrowed his brow, pulling the bag back towards him and reaching inside. He felt his stomach pitch with shock as he retrieved a camera from inside. A Nikon D3100 to be exact – one of the best new cameras on the market today. He studied the camera in his hands, turning it over and over again, getting a feel for the device. Finally, he managed to meet Naruto's smug gaze, and couldn't contain his own smile. Years ago, he had sold his professional grade camera and most of lenses in attempt to cleanse himself off the past, a rather stupid move on his part, as he now had to snap pictures on an tiny little digital that did the subjects of his photos no justice.

Naruto sipped his latte contentedly. "Am I awesome, or am I _awesome_?"

"I wouldn't go that far. But you are pretty fucking good." Sasuke brought the camera up to his eye, viewing Naruto through the viewfinder.

Naruto propped his chin in his hand. "Okay, so now I have proposition for you."

"Oh, fuck me, how did I know." Sasuke lowered the camera with a sigh. "You bought me an expensive camera so you could ask me a favor? Why don't you just guilt-trip me like Sakura does?"

"Well, this favor involves that camera, you little shit." Naruto laughed as Sasuke scowled. "I want you to come teach a photography class at the Academy. I've been getting a lot of students asking specifically for photography classes, and I want someone I can trust. You're the best I know. Plus, my goddamn yearbook and journalists students would actually know what the fuck they were doing."

Sasuke glanced at the camera in his hands, frowning. "You want _me_ to teach a class? Seriously?"

"I'm as serious as a heart attack." Naruto smiled warmly, watching as his friend struggled to find an excuse not to accept. "I know you've been dying to get back behind the lens. You're one of the best photographers of your generation, Sasuke, and it's a damn shame you haven't done it in so many years. Plus, I don't want to go out and find some uppity bastard with some pedigree to teach my kids. I want them to learn from a guy who gets into the nitty-gritty. You'd be a good teacher."

Sasuke sighed. "I'm not comfortable –"

"Aren't you supposed to be getting out of your comfort zone? Isn't that what the therapist said? It's been three years, Sasuke. You aren't that guy from before. You've been through all the bullshit. Now you can just enjoy taking pictures – and help kids appreciate the beauty in the real world."

Sasuke frowned. "There's no beauty in the reality, Naruto. I took pictures to show that off."

"And you were damn good. Teach these kids how to do the same." He sipped his coffee, looking very much like his official self. "Look, just mull it over, alright? The job is yours if you really want it. And I know you aren't exactly hurting for money, but this will do you some good. The kids in the Academy are some of the best and brightest – I like to surround them with people who will actually help them survive in this big, bad world. You yourself know exactly how bad it can get. So please, think about it. You aren't a bad guy – you just made some really fucked up decisions. And you're trying to move past that."

Sasuke eyed him. "You aren't just saying this so you and Sakura can keep a closer eye on me, right?"

"What the hell do you think I am – your mom?" Naruto shook his head, sighing. "No, you bastard, I've got better things to do than worry if you're wearing the same pants you wore yesterday. That's more Sakura's schtick. I just want you were I can I show off my amazing leadership skills."

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "How did you even become dean of such a prestigious fucking school. You _hated_ school."

"Not true! I hated having to sit still for hours at a time! I liked what I learned – I just hated having to sit still to get it!"

"Are you sure you don't have ADHD, because that was about the shittiest excuse for hyperactivity I've ever heard."

Naruto glowered at him. "Hey, goddammit, I do not have attention deficient disorder! And I'll have you know that I do have students who have ADHD and school is a real struggle for them, despite wanting to learn all they can!" He folded his arms, looking down his nose as Sasuke, who still appeared unimpressed. "And as Dean, I don't teach classes; I just make important decisions about what happens in the school."

"But you were a substitute teacher for a long time before you even got the job." Sasuke smirked as Naruto dropped his haughty expression for a loud groan. "You didn't even make it to full-time teacher status, did you?"

"Look, Tsunade-baachan stressed that I do the six years of teaching before I got to take her position. She didn't say I had to do them well!" He pouted, propping his chin his head. "And I was one of the coolest fucking teachers around, so I don't see what the goddamn problem was."

"How about the fact that you were a substitute teacher for six years and just barely made your teaching certificate?" Sasuke arched an eyebrow. "And now you're coming to me, someone who isn't even licensed to do something like that, to help teach a school full of kids how to aim and shoot."

"You make it sound a lot worse than it is," Naruto grumbled. "Whatever, I don't think you need a certificate to teach the kind of class you're teaching –"

"I think you need a certificate to even think of stepping into a school for educational purposes, idiot –"

"Don't fucking fight me on this!" Naruto snapped, slapping his hand on the table. "Quit bitching and either tell me yes or no! I'm tired of playing twenty fucking questions with you, Sasuke! Either say no and enjoy your new goddamn camera, or say yes and do something productive for the first time in three fucking years!"

Sasuke tensed, then sneered, his dark eyes piercing straight through the already apologetic blond. "Fuck you, asshole. I think my managing to stay sober through all shit storms I've endured is pretty fucking productive."

"L-look man, I didn't mean that just now. I just lost my temper." Naruto raked his fingers through his short blond hair, shaking his head. "I'm really sorry, Sasuke. I lost myself. I just... I really want you to teach the class."

"I can fucking tell." Sasuke glanced at the camera in his hands. "Will you finally shut up and leave me the hell alone if I say yes?"

"All I want is a yes from you."

"And I won't need to take a teaching course or whatever to do it?"

"You won't even need a certificate."

Sasuke sighed, frowning. "I don't know why I agree to these half-cocked plan of yours, but yeah. I'll teach the fucking class." He placed the camera delicately back in the bag, frowning. "You're lucky I still have a few of my filters and lenses. But for the class, you're probably going to need to order a class set of the latest photoshop program, preferably something that focuses more on photography than artistry. And I don't want to spend all fucking day at school, dealing with kids, or big classes, or any fucking fangirls for the love of God. I'm way too old to be dealing with some teenage girls who are too busy staring at my ass to pay attention in my class."

Naruto snickered. "Ah, I remember those days, when girls couldn't get enough of you. But I was the one who had all your love. Was our first kiss as wonderful as I remember it to be?"

Sasuke lifted his middle finger to the laughing blond, sipping from his lukewarm cup of coffee. He had never stated that Naruto was his first kiss, and he would never tell if Naruto was. When they were kids, Naruto had tried desperately not to let anyone bring up the memory of their kiss, which had happened at the beginning of their high school careers. Now, however, he seemed to be comfortable with that bought of homosexuality. Sasuke almost worried his friend was going to turn completely gay some day, but Jiraya had apparently ingrained enough love of the female form to turn Naruto off dicks not his own.

Naruto glanced at his watch and grimaced. "Okay, so I'm officially late for a meeting now. Stop by my office around three today, and we'll set everything up then." He slid out of the booth, and patted Sasuke's shoulder with a enthusiastic grin. "And don't sweat it. I know you'll do great."

Sasuke grunted, slumping forward in his seat to stare into his coffee. A photography class – a real, live actual class of students who were depending him to show them something useful. He shook his head, sighing softly. He didn't know the first time about teaching a room full of hormonally-charged teenagers how to do anything. Just what had he gotten himself into...

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_A/N: Welp, one chapter down, an unknown amount of chapters to go! Super fun, super cool, right? Who'd have thunk Sasuke would be such a troubled young man, what with that handsome face, the drugs... the dead family... Alrighty then, moving on! Whew, we sure had some fun today! You found out Sasuke was a one-time drug user and was now 3 years sober, after becoming a professional photographer at the age of 19, you found out Naruto is the dean of an academy, the prestigious Konohagakure Academy of gifted youth or whatever (I'll come up with an official name later) and you found out Sakura guilt trips Sasuke into behaving! Wow, lots of information, right?_

_I promise there will be more in the next chapter! Like maybe a love interest, hon hon hon *wiggles eyebrows seductively* And of course, I'll be introducing a lot of new characters to the story. None of them will be OC, so enjoy watching as your favorite peeps pop up now and again. I hope you enjoyed this little ditty, and stick around for even more! Keep dreaming ~ A Dreamer Always_


	2. Chapter 2

_A/N: Whoop, raise da roof, because it is totally one fire! Oh, oh wait, no don't touch it! Hot, hot, very hot! Owie-ow! *ahem* Okay, so let's just move to my place and we'll watch some movies to celebrate the fact that Antionette put up a new chapter! Yeah, yeah, that'll be much better than a... burning roof. Oh god, my goldfish are in there. Oh damn, here comes the fire department. Oh man, they stripping... because it's gettin in here. OH GOD._

_Okay, enough with the corny puns! They were bad, so terribly awful, why did I make them? Antionette, you know you can't do witty in that way, so just cut it out right now. But more fabulous news, IT'S A CHAPTER. IT'S A WHOLE GOSHDARN, EDITED CHAPTER OF VIEWFINDER, THAT NEW AMAZING FANFICTION BY A DREAMER ALWAYS! YOU KNOW, THAT GIRL WHO ALMOST LIKE NEVER UPDATES THESE DAYS._

_Totally legit though, this chapter is my favorite chapter, because you get to see inside Sasuke's brain, and it is a place to revel in let me tell you something honey. He's a photographer - he enjoys beautiful things. And wowza aren't the Hyuuga beautiful creatures._

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**Two**

It was the pale eyes that had made him double-take. Sasuke watched as the man glided past him, confused as to whether he could considered the tall, pale-eyed, dark-haired being beautiful or handsome. Sasuke had gotten his fair share of compliments in his youth, and despite his drug use, his good looks had managed to survive into his late twenties. But the man who had passed Sasuke by had stick-straight, glossy dark hair to his shoulders, pearlescent, pupil-less eyes, and smooth, cream-colored skin.

The man stopped and stared him down, his thin lips turning down in a frown. "Can I help you?"

Sasuke shoved his hands into his pockets, quickly getting over his astonishment. "I'm looking for Nar – Dean Uzumaki's office."

"Do you have an appointment with him?" The man narrowed his eyes and Sasuke found himself yet again distracted by their disturbing lack of color. They were alien and disconcerting, but beautiful to look at it. And despite their pupil-less state, the man seemed perfectly capable of seeing.

"Yes, I do. I just need to get to his office." Sasuke kept his expression as neutral as possible as the man visibly appraised him. Finally, after a pregnant pause, he pointed in the direction Sasuke had been headed in. "If I did actually work here, which I don't, I'd be more suspicious of you. But Uzumaki's office is upstairs, at the very end of the hall. It'll be marked by a receptionist."

Sasuke nodded. "Up the stairs, down the hall. Got it. Thanks."

"You're welcome." The man turned on the hell of his dress shoes and headed down the hallway at a brisk walk. Sasuke could now see that despite the man's rather extravagant visage – how anyone in modern Japan managed to pull it off, Sasuke didn't know – he was dressed in a tailored gray suit. He looked too young to be the parent of a child who would attend this area of the Academy, the senior high school level, but there was no way in hell he would even work at Konohagakure. Maybe he was some kind of lawyer or budding politician Naruto was in cahoots with. The blond seemed inexplicably good at networking and rubbing elbows with the right people.

Sasuke reached Naruto's office and stepped through the door without answering any of the receptionist's questions. Naruto looked up from a stack of papers and grinned brightly. "Hey, you bastard! You're actually early!"

"You act as if my arrival is surprising." Sasuke took the seat before Naruto's desk, barely sparing the papers a glance. "So, let's get this over with."

"Yeah, yeah, lemme just..." Naruto shuffled through the paperwork scattered across his desk with a frown. "Shit, it was right here, I swear – Oh, here it is!" He handed over a small shift of papers to Sasuke. "Read through that, initial and sign where it says, and then I'll show you around the school. I've added your class to the roster already, and by the end of summer, we should get your classes set up. I've actually got a ton of new people coming in, so you don't look super suspicious."

Sasuke arched an eyebrow as he uncapped a pen. "Oh yeah? What other classes are you offering – underwater basket weaving?"

"You're a real fucking hoot, you know that?" Naruto rolled his eyes as he continued to shuffle through his work. "Nah, I got a new literature teacher coming in. She apparently went to college in the states so she's really familiar with a lot of Western classics, like Arthurian tales and Greek epics. I've been wanting to expand a lot of the students into stuff like that, so this is a chance to do that. And then I've got a new home economics teacher coming in, though he'll only be around for a few semesters. Oh, and I got a new earth science and biology professor! A two-in-one! A lot kids were pushing for an AP Biology class, and I managed to find a guy willing to do it."

Sasuke flipped idly through the pages, skimming the legal tenure briefly. "Huh. Sounds like you've been busy."

"Yeah, this school year I'm finally implementing all that shit I've been wanting to." He dropped into his seat with a groan. "Yeah, and I know the Board of Directors is going to jump on me for spending so much money, but I don't really give a shit for those foggy old bastards. The Academy wasn't nearly as awesome when I was a kid. I want these kids to look back fondly on these years and take what they've learned and expand it into their lives."

"Such a caring dean you've become, Naruto." Sasuke handed over the papers, cracking his knuckles. "So where is my room and what the hell am I even supposed to do?"

"Did you read none of this?" Naruto shook the papers in his face, then sighed. "Well whatever. For now, you need to come up with some kind of class syllabus. Plot out what you're going to do through out the semester, how you're going to go about it, and what your budget will be. Things like class cameras and computers are totally my problem, and will be provided for. I might even allow you to do some field trips..."

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "I very seriously doubt that will be necessary."

"Hey, who knows. Maybe you'd like to take them out to a secluded field and take pictures of the scenery."

"I would need permission to do that?"

"Hell yeah. You can't just up and leave the school with some thirty kids because you thought it would make for good pictures." Naruto laughed as Sasuke furrowed his brow. "Don't worry about that though, that's nothing more than a way for Board of Directors to stay in power. They just want you to know that they're there, but most anything you ask for, as long as its within reason, is going to be approved."

"You've got another visitor, Uzumaki-san." Both men turned to look at Naruto's secretary, stepping aside to let another woman into the office. For the second time today, Sasuke did a double-take. It was as if the man he had met into the hall had lost several inches and become a woman. Those pearlescent eyes were large and hooded, framed by long, black lashes and set in a soft, heart-shaped face. Everything about her screamed blue-blood, with her creamy white skin, the blue veins fading slightly into her wrists, her small blade of a nose, the plum-shaped, petal-pink lips.

He could almost see her dressed in a traditional kimono, made of a dark-blue silky fabric that had a cherry blossom pattern, and even a red obi, her dark hair swept up in an elaborate updo with combs and strings of pearls –

He cut himself off, remembering that it had been a long time since he had photographed any models. And he damn sure wasn't going to ask this woman, whose name he wasn't even aware of, to do so for him.

Either way, her drab appearance was a let down to her counterpart. That dark, glossy hair was twisted into a simple bun at the base of her neck, paired with a lavender blouse and faded boot-leg jeans with a pair of black clogs. She wore a pair of silver studs in her ears and her makeup was minimal, eyeliner and clear lip gloss, and maybe a touch of mascara for her impossibly black lashes.

Sasuke turned back to Naruto. "Is this your new literature teacher?"

Naruto grinned as the woman took the seat beside Sasuke, setting her purse gently on the floor beside her. "Yeah, actually! Sasuke, this is Hyuuga Hinata, my new classical literature professor. She's actually a new teacher herself." He shook her hand and eased himself back into his seat. "You've got great timing, Hinata-chan – I can call you that, can't I?"

Hinata blushed and smiled sweetly, nodding. "Yes, that's fine."

"Good, good. And you can call me Naruto. I don't normally go by 'Dean Uzumaki.' The kids know me on more friendly terms than that." He shot a look at Sasuke as he snorted. "What? What's that look for? You got something to say to me, bastard?"

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "You sound like a sixty-year-old man trying to be twenty."

"I am twenty-seven!" Naruto turned away from him, looking to Hinata. "Look, ignore that jerk. I'm awesome, he's not. It's something he's learning to get over. Anyway, I was just getting ready to show Sasuke around the school. You're more than welcome to join us."

Hinata slid the strap of her purse up her shoulder, and spoke in a silk-soft voice, "I would like that very much... Naruto-kun."

"Oh, you are a cutie!" Naruto laughed, and Sasuke wondered if any grown woman should blush the way Hinata did. "The boys are going to love you! They might actually get some work done for once!" He ambled around the desk, grabbing Hinata's hand in a firm handshake. "You and Sasuke need to get your syllabus into me by Friday. Email it if ya have to. I don't really care what you plan to do, as long as its within reason."

"You _should_ care, we are kind of new to this," Sasuke grumbled, shoving his hands into his pockets. "Shit, I have no experience whatsoever."

Naruto rounded on him, scowling. "Look, you want everyone person in the whole damn building to know, or just this hallway? Jeez Louise, shut up and let me handle the big stuff. Do your part and teach my kids how to take some good selfies."

"Like I'm going to teach students how to point a camera at themselves so they can get the maximum amount of cleavage in a picture."

"Why, you were capable of taking pictures of naked women for a living. I don't see a difference, ya bastard."

"Uhm." Hinata cut into their verbal volley, her face flushed as her eyes swept between the both of them. "Are you two close friends? Because I wouldn't suggest working with someone you dislike."

Naruto sighed, folding his arms. "No, no, Hinata-chan. We're totally cool. Sasuke's been my bro for years. I'm just teasing him a bit. I promise that when school starts we'll be the utmost professional. I mean, Sasuke's pretty used to working with people who don't like him, so he won't have much of a problem."

"You're being a complete asshole to me and I don't know what I did to deserve it," Sasuke grumbled, glaring at his supposed best friend. "Can we just get this over with, so I can go home and figure out what the hell to do for a syllabus."

Hinata eyed him warily. "What will you be teaching Sasuke-san?"

No "kun" at the end of his name. He tried not to take it personally, he knew he wasn't making the greatest first impression. And Hinata seemed to be one those gentle, unassuming types. She didn't want to make anyone angry or upset in anyway. A peacekeeper. He hadn't seen one of those in a long time, considering the company he hung out with. "Photography. Naruto recruited me to teach a photography class."

She offered a small smile, nodding. "Oh, that should be fun. I've always enjoyed photography myself. The different scenes and emotions people can capture, whether they be staged or completely natural, are always so fascinating." She stepped closer to him, her smile growing just a bit broader. "Which do you prefer doing, Sasuke-san? Natural shots or creative scenes?"

He ignored Naruto's thumbs-up from over the woman's head. "For a while, I was really into the creative side of photography, using sets and models. But these days I focus more on urban culture and capturing the face of society." Somehow he felt embarrassed explaining that to her, but all of it was true. Once he was out of rehab, he went back to photography, but not professionally, and spent most of his time snapping pictures of the city. He'd wake up early or stay out late, roaming the near empty streets, snapping shots of what he thought was interesting about Japan's urban culture.

She nodded, folding her hands neatly before her as they continued to walk up the hall. "I enjoy nature shots. Maybe because its so rare to see animals so... _emotional_. Normally we view them as primitive, instinctual beings living for survival. But a photograph can say so much with only so little. My photography skills are sadly used for nothing more than taking pictures of my friends and family."

He shrugged, murmuring, "Well, you gotta start somewhere. You'll always be shitty before you get better."

She laughed softly. "Well put, Sasuke-san."

So, maybe Naruto had a point about the woman. She was … cute. Infuriatingly, maddeningly, cute. And it wasn't a term Sasuke was prone to using. She reminded him of spring kimonos and cherry blossoms, fields bursting with lavender and sunny afternoons. Her damn voice even reminded him of silk whispering over skin.

And he desperately wanted to capture that essence through his camera lens.

* * *

_A/N: *in a creaky high-pitched voice* Can you feeeeel the looooooove toniiiiiiight. I can feeeeeeel it tooooo ~_

_I'm in a really good mood writing this, if you hadn't noticed! So, you made it to the end of the chapter! Almost too quickly, you say? Welp, there's no remedy for that! Most of the chapters are kinda short like this! But wow, do they pack a punch! Sasuke for some reason is so fun to write, because there could be a number of reasons for why he acts the way he does! Maybe he's super aloof because he's shy? Or because he's super depressed, or because he's super radical and knows nobody could handle all the rad stuff that goes on in his brain! If he were insane, he'd never shut up._

_And I like a Sasuke who smiles! Those are much more fun! Anyway, thank for reading! Leave a review and tell me what you liked, what you didn't like, what I could improve on. Your feedback warms the depths of my tired, beating, college-going, exam-taking heart. Keep dreaming ~ A Dreamer Always_


	3. Chapter 3

_A/N: It's been about 6 days since I last updated this story, and I've got about 5 and a half chapters written for it. So we're gonna be on schedule for a few weeks. I almost stalled it because I wasn't all the way caught up on The Reward of Hard Work and I was kind of discouraged because my NaNoWriMo count is way low. I'm supposed to be at something like 32,000 words today, and last I checked, I was at about 28,000. So I'm nowhere near where I'm supposed to be and it's kind of a mood killer :P I do have the rest of this week off however, so I can do a lot of catching up!_

_Anyhow, I hope you enjoy this chapter, because I worked really hard on it, and Shikamaru acts like Asuma, so it makes me happy!_

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**Three: Peering Through the Viewfinder Is So Much Easier Than Standing Before It**

Somehow, Sasuke managed to create a decent enough syllabus that Naruto approved of – he had gone through several drafts, most of which Naruto had rejected outright, goading him into doing even better – and when the semester started up once again, he was in the teachers' lounge with his own desk. Right across from him, shockingly enough, was Hyuuga Hinata, with a soft, albeit excited, smile. It briefly crossed his mind that everything she did reminded him of the way silk moved, a flowing, sliding motion that barely rustled.

He looked at the bland, gray metal desk and sighed softly. "What the hell am I even supposed to do?"

"The beginning of the semester is always slowest," someone stated, and he turned to see a man with a spiky ponytail leaning against the desk not too far down the row from his. The man yawned loudly, an unlit cigarette hanging from his fingers. "Once the first week is up, you'll have plenty to do. For now, enjoy the peace while it lasts."

Sasuke eyed his cigarette. "You got another one of those?"

The man handed him a cigarette, offering a tired half-smile. "I'm Shikamaru. Been here ever since Naruto stepped up to run the school."

Sasuke patted his pockets and located his lighter, placing the cigarette between his lips. "Sasuke. I'm new, if you couldn't tell."

Shikamaru turned his attention to Hinata. "You're the cutie Naruto was bragging about, I think. Hinata, right?" He smiled as she blushed and nodded. "He seems pretty pleased with himself on recruiting another female teacher. We had Ino come in last year, and Kurenai doesn't want to leave, even though she deserves it." He scratched his cheek, frowning. "Oh, and there's TenTen, who runs the whole circuit of sports with Lee. I think she's the Kendo team captain as well. I don't know, she's all over the damn place, I just can't remember anymore."

Sasuke arched an eyebrow. "Any one else I should know about?"

"Nah, you'll eventually get to meet everyone. I was just pointing out some of the women." Shikamaru motioned for him to follow, and Sasuke obliged as the man led them into a room off the side of the teachers' lounge. He could tell immediately it was a smoking room and dropped himself into a cushioned chair, lighting his cigarette. Shikamaru struck a match and continued from where he left off. "Yeah, the whole senior high school level is pretty legit. It was kind of lacking in our youth, so Naruto put his foot down about some stuff. He's probably going to start focusing on the lower levels, so don't expect anything new for awhile."

Sasuke sighed heavily. "Yeah, well, I don't think I'll be here for very long."

"No? Why's that?"

Sasuke shrugged, frowning. "Teaching just isn't my thing. Naruto was pushing for me to do something 'productive', but I haven't taken a decent photo in years."

Shikamaru studied him quietly. "How long have you been doing photography?"

"Unofficially, about since I was five. But I went professional about seven, eight years ago."

And it was the whole cause for his now-fucked up life. The money he hadn't put away for the future had been immediately spent on keeping himself in a luxurious lifestyle. His photos went from being a few thousand yen, to a few million. At one point, he had sold a particularly grand photo for nearly ten million. These days, he didn't have want for money. But he had technically been out of a job for a few years. His resume wasn't looking good, and nobody would want to hire a one-time drug user unless it could be proven that he was doing something to right his wrongs.

Shikamaru nodded, appearing to be impressed. "Well, alright then. Most everyone here has some kind of back story with Naruto. He just always seems to pull through for people. I don't know what it is." He inhaled off his cigarette, and released the smoke in a sigh. "For him, it's all about the students. If the students like you, if he thinks you can teach them something, he's gonna keep paying you to stick around."

Sasuke shrugged. "Yeah, but if I don't think I can handle the job, then I won't."

"Don't say you can't when you haven't even tried." Shikamaru laughed as Sasuke rolled his eyes. "I'm guessing he's given you the same line."

"All the fucking time." Sasuke finished his cigarette and stood with a sigh. "Alright. So what happens now?"

"We deal with the opening ceremony, then kids go to short periods to get acquainted with their new teachers and syllabus. Tomorrow will be the real first day of school, with students attending every class for the first week. After the first week, we'll start block-scheduling, which is confusing at first, but you'll get used to it eventually."

Sasuke shrugged. "If you say so."

"Yeah, you'll do just fine here."

.

.

Maybe this was a bad idea after all.

Sasuke kept his eyes forward, almost lounging in the rather uncomfortable chair he had been assigned at the ceremony. Naruto was onstage, congratulating a few students on achievements they had made during the summer, and also trying to pump up the crowd of sleepy high schoolers. He was doing a decent job of it, as Naruto's enthusiasm knew no bounds and infected everyone close by, but Sasuke wouldn't join in no matter how many times Naruto shot him glares from the podium.

The reason Sasuke thought this was a bad idea was because there several girls eyeing him up and down. He wasn't blind to his own appearance, he was aware of the fact that he was what passed for handsome these days. And he knew there were a hundred other guys who looked better than him – take for example that pale-eyed, dark-haired man Hinata resembled – but women were drawn to him. Honestly, it was a creepy notion to know that whenever he was in the prolonged presence of women, they would eventually begin flirting with him. He could go to the supermarket for tomatoes and the grandmas in there would bat their lashes and call him 'young man.'

Shikamaru nudged him, saying under his breath, "I don't know if you noticed but there are a shit ton of tender, young ladies eyeing you."

Sasuke gritted his teeth, shaking his head. "Don't acknowledge them. They'll get over it."

"You used to women falling at your feet like this? Seems kind of... troublesome."

"It is. But you learn to cope." He scowled as Naruto called out for new teachers to come up and introduce themselves. "Ah, this is some bullshit –"

"C'mon, just go. I hold your seat." Shikamaru laughed as Sasuke heaved himself out of the chair, stalking up the stage along with Hinata, a tall, reed-thin man with dark glasses and a pale pallor, and man who was at least thirty pounds heavier than Sasuke, and at least four inches taller. They came to the stage and Naruto placed Hinata at the podium first, lowering the microphone for her.

She smiled sweetly, and Sasuke could practically see the whole room melt. She was going to be the sweetheart of this school. "Hello, I'm Hyuuga Hinata and I'll be teaching Western Classical Literature this semester. Please take care of me!"

The man with dark glasses stepped up next, his voice a velvety tone no one was apparently expecting, judging by the hush that fell over the crowd suddenly. "I'm Aburame Shino, and I will be teaching AP Biology and Earth Sciences this semester. Please take care of me."

Next to last, the big man stepped up with a hesitant chuckle. "I'm Akimichi Choji and I'll be teaching home economics and higher level cooking classes this semester. Please take care of me."

Sasuke stepped before the mic and immediately hated it. He had always been more comfortable behind the camera. "I'm Uchiha Sasuke, and I'll be teaching Photography, while also being the new adviser for Yearbook and the school newspaper. Please take care of me."

He ignored the wave of girlish sighs that erupted and stepped back, allowing Naruto to usher him off the stage. Once he was back in his seat, Shikamaru snickered into his hand. "Oh man, I think this has just made my day. I bet you're gonna have love letters stuffed everywhere. I hope you like chocolate 'cause you're gonna be getting a lot of it this semester."

Sasuke glowered at him. "You aren't helping!"

"Why would I help you out? This is too hilarious!" He laughed aloud as the room erupted into a large, rousing cheer. "Enjoy this while it lasts, Mr. Uchiha. You don't stay young and beautiful forever."

Sasuke took hope in what the man said. He didn't want to be fifty years old and dealing with this bullshit.

.

.

"Anybody home!"

Sasuke looked at the woman who burst into the teachers' lounge, a bright grin on her face. She was tall and svelte, with her platinum blonde hair placed in a high ponytail, her blue eyes rimmed in makeup. She dressed in a purple low-cut v-neck shirt and a black pencil skirt with nude color tights, showing off her rather long legs. She reminded him of the models he used to shoot up with, but she wasn't pale or unnaturally thin.

When their eyes connected, he knew he shouldn't have done so, because she was across the room in a few seconds, standing right beside his desk, throwing out her hand for a handshake. "Hi! I'm Yamanaka Ino, a science teacher!"

There was no way in hell this woman in her long hair and low-cut shirts taught science very well. He shook her hand. "I'm Sasuke. I'll be teaching photography."

"Yeah, I know," she chirped, and he fought back a cringe. "A ton of us are gonna go out and celebrate the start of the school year. Would you like to join us?"

He glanced around the empty room, finding no one to watch his back. The glint in this woman's eyes would devour him whole. "Uhm –"

"Don't be shy, Sasuke-kun!" she laughed, waving off his supposed concerns. "We don't plan to get super drunk, we do have classes tomorrow! It's just a bonding thing – get to know your peers and all that. I got Hinata-chan to agree, and it isn't as if Choji would give up a chance for free food."

He furrowed his brow. "Well –"

"We'll be getting yakiniku, and Naruto says you enjoy meat, so it's a win-win! And it'll hardly cost you anything. The old man who owns the place knows me pretty well so he's giving our rather large party an extensive discount."

He couldn't refuse – or more like, she wouldn't let him. He sighed, resigning himself to his fate. "Yeah, sure. Yakiniku sounds great."

"Yes! Alright!" She dropped a card on his desk, with her name, number, and the address of the restaurant with simple directions. "You'll find it pretty easily! We get started around seven! Be there or be square!" She laughed and flounced off, leaving him alone once more.

He glanced at the card and sighed once more. It was a bad idea to accept Naruto's offer, but now that he was here, there was no way he could leave.

* * *

_A/N: Sasuke's tumultuous start at Konohagakure Academy leaves little to be desired. He's obviously gonna be obsessed over, and he's obviously going to have his little posse of fangirls, and he's going to become extremely jealous of anyone who's close to Hinata! He's got a crush, and he is so unwilling to admit it, it'll cause some good ole' conflicts in his mind._

_Please leave a review and tell me how well I did, and what I can do to make it better! You guys have been so wonderful to me these past few days, that I want to keep hearing from you. Keep dreaming ~ A Dreamer Always_


	4. Chapter 4

_A/N: Lookie here, it's another fantastic goodie about a photographer Sasuke and a teacher Hinata. Seems kinda cliche, but hey, that's why they're called cliches. So here, Sasuke got roped into going out and celebrating the first day of school with the teachers, and he gets to stare at Hinata and sit next to her and be a general dweeb with a crush. How cute._

_On an aside, my Thanksgiving meal was super yummy and I even helped make some it, so I'm super proud of myself. I also worked Black Friday, which let me tell you, was cra-zee. Alaska is usually pretty okay with stuff like this, but I heard there were fights at Best Buy and Walmart. And I work at Gap Kids and Baby Gap in the Dimond Mall (that's how it's spelled, don't worry) and it was ridiculous - probably because everyone knew they'd never get out usually $30 jeans for so cheap ever agin. The mall opened at 10pm Thursday night and stayed open until 9pm Friday. I feel so bad for my coworkers. _

_But, enjoy the chapter, my darlings! _

* * *

**Four: The Things That Go On Behind The Camera Aren't To Be Discussed**

He was sitting next to Hinata, who was still on her first beer, while everyone else was well on their third. She nursed the sweating mug in her hand, sitting perfectly seize while everyone else sat on their asses with their legs crossed, as if they were in kindergarten again. She sipped occasionally from her mug, as if just remembering that she had it in her hand and was supposed to be drinking from it. Ino had tried to get the woman to drink more, but Hinata had smartly refused, becoming one of the few people in the room who wasn't tipsy. Except for Sasuke. He had given up alcohol while in rehab, but it was hard sitting in a room full of people slogging them back.

He snatched a particularly juicy piece of meat from a giggling Ino, ignoring her flirtatious advances. Tonight was not the night to deal with drunken women – especially a woman who was his coworker for the next few months.

From the corner of his eye, he watched Hinata glance at her watch, then look worriedly around the room, eyeing their coworkers. Oh, so she was concerned for the rest of the dumbasses. Sasuke thought she should let them be and not give a damn. If they wanted to get tipsy on a school night, that was their problem. He would go home and sleep pretty damn nicely, and he wouldn't have any sympathy for them in the morning.

Hinata looked to him, frowning lightly as she murmured softly, "How can they drink so much, knowing they have work tomorrow morning?"

"They drink because they know have work tomorrow morning," he replied, hating himself for reveling in her voice. It really was a phenomenon to him. He could never capture that sound in a photograph, like her image, but he could close his eyes and repeat every damn word she'd said to him thus far.

She cocked her head. "Why would something like that matter? Wouldn't it be worse to risk getting fired by Naruto-kun?"

"As if Naruto would fire anybody here for sipping a little beer," Sasuke muttered, drinking from his glass of water. He had gone three years without taking a sip of beer, and now it was if he were back in high school, trying to fit in with the cool kids. Even Hinata beside him, drinking very little, made him want to get up and grab a mug.

The door, which was at his back, banged open, and he blinked, turning to face Naruto and Sakura, both looking rather put out. The festivities in the room stuttered to a stop as the blond came through the door, arms folded as he frowned. "What the hell do you guys think you're doing?"

Sakura stalked past him in a second, rounding the kotatsu tables as she glared everyone down. "Honestly, you guys! We've had this discussion before! You should go drinking the night _before_ the ceremony! Not after!"

Ino sighed loudly, propping her chin on her hand, "Look here, Sakura, we're just having a bit of fun. In fact, this was everyone's last beer and we were all planning to head home! Being a little tipsy is fine, as long as you eat and drink!"

Naruto's frown just wouldn't let up and Sasuke gritted his teeth in anticipation of the words to come next, because he knew them so very well. "I'm really disappointed in you, guys. What are people going to say about Konohagakure when they see its teachers acting drunk on a school night? I know I'm not very strict, but this has got to stop!" Naruto glanced at Hinata, his brow furrowing. "And I sure as hell didn't expect to see you here, Hinata-chan."

Sasuke watched as she became visibly distressed, turning her head away as she hunched her shoulders. Obviously, Naruto's opinion mattered a lot to her, and to have him so blatantly disappointed in her was nearly devastating. He wondered what kind of bullshit she had gone through to become so meek against a few words.

Sakura placed her hands on her hips, having circulated the room to give everyone a glare. "You can't keep doing this! Naruto is doing his best to help you guys out, and you pull this kind of crap! Really, guys? You can't wait until the weekend to celebrate? You have class tomorrow – you need to be clearheaded!"

Ino shot up from her seat, her face flushed with both liquor and indignation. "Hey, Sakura, we got it! We fucked up! I thought if we went out for a few beers, we could all bond and work better together! But obviously, it was a bad move! So I'm sorry! Goddamn, no need to ground your heel in anymore! We get it, you're morally superior than the rest of us!"

"Do not blame Sakura for your mistakes, Ino!" Naruto snapped suddenly, his eyes narrowing as Ino folded her arms, averting her gaze. "You did fuck up, and now that you're being called out on it, I don't want any excuses. Every one of you go home and sober up. I should put you all probation, but considering this is the whole staff of my high school, I can't really do that, can I?" He scowled as everyone began shuffling around. "We do this shit every time – and it still never gets through to you."

Sasuke sighed and stood, rummaging through his pockets for a cigarette as everyone moved past them. Hinata was one of the first to bolt, and he was having a hard time convincing himself not to follow her to the parking lot.

Naruto frowned as Sakura glared at him. "Sasuke, why on earth would you break your sobriety for some cheap beer? I would have never pegged you as the type to take an excuse to drink."

"Well, I was that type five years ago, if you remember," he replied dryly, lighting the stick. "And for your information, I'm not drunk. You'd know if I was drunk. I drank water the entire fucking time. So get off my back."

She frowned. "I'm just trying –"

"Sakura, save it. I'm a big boy now. I don't need mommy to pull up my diapers anymore." He inhaled deeply, turning his head aside so he wouldn't hit Naruto or Sakura with the smoke. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a big day to prepare for tomorrow."

"Sasuke –" Sakura stopped as Naruto held up his hand, frowning. "Leave it Sakura. You know Sasuke wouldn't drink all his efforts down the drain. If he says he's sober, he is. You don't need to make bigger mess out of this than it already is."

She bristled, "You're acting like I'm being melodramatic or something!"

"Because you are," Sasuke snapped, glaring at her. "You're being really fucking dramatic over nothing, and I don't appreciate it. In fact, no one does. We are adults, Sakura, and we don't need a mommy lording over us."

She frowned, "I'm not lording. I just worry. I mean you were a drug add –"

"I know what I did, Sakura. I'm the one who made those choices, and while your concern is appreciated, it's not necessary. Have I ever relapsed in the past three years?" He snagged his coat, moving past his friends as she shook her head. "Well alright then. You're acting holier-than-thou and it's really getting to be annoying."

.

.

He had managed to dig a nice button up and slacks out of his closet, but halfway through getting dressed he decided he hated this polished look and instead grabbed a pair of jeans – albeit, nice designer jeans that had at some point looked very fucking rebel when he pulled them off the rack. They were this intense black denim that refused to slouch or crinkle, and he wondered if maybe it was showing off to arrive in a pair of jeans that none of his coworkers could even dream of buying.

Better question yet was – did he care?

No, he did not. So he showed up in the teachers' lounge with his camera and realized the only people there were Hinata, Rock Lee, and TenTen.

TenTen offered him a warm smile, holding out her hand for a shake. "Hey, Sasuke-san! We met last night, but I just wanted to let you know that I handle most of the students, so if you ever have any questions about anyone, don't hesitate to ask me."

Lee grabbed his hand and pumped it ferociously, nearly crushing Sasuke's hand. "Yes, Sasuke-kun, we are all coworkers and teammates here! I can assist you in any endeavor and will do my utmost to make sure your stay here is most fulfilling!"

TenTen shoved him away, rolling her eyes. "Anyway, it's nice to finally have a photography person around here. The school newspaper and yearbook aren't very good at it. But Naruto-kun says you used to be a professional photographer."

He nodded, seating himself at his desk. "Yes, I was. I'll do my best for the kids."

As TenTen tried to shove Lee out of the door, Sasuke turned his attention to Hinata. Today she had dressed a little nicer, with a white long-sleeve V-neck t-shirt, and slim-fitting gray trousers. Her dark hair was swept back in a low ponytail, which she kept over her shoulder. The look reminded him of the man he met before.

"Do you have a brother?"

Hinata lifted her eyes from the notebook she was writing in, her gaze questioning. "Excuse me?"

He decided to roll with his blunder. "When I first came here, to meet with Naruto, I saw a man who looked exactly like you. Is he your twin or something?"

She blinked, then smiled thinly. "No, that was my cousin, Neji-niisan. My father and his father were twins however, so we do have an appearance that closely resembles each other." She bowed her head again, but didn't finish speaking. "I do have a younger sister though. She actually goes here." She glanced at him through her lashes and he wanted to grab his camera and snap a picture of her expression. "Do you have any siblings, Sasuke-san?"

"One older brother. He doesn't live in the city anymore." Sasuke jerked his chin toward her notebook, abruptly changing the subject. "What are you writing?"

"I'm elaborating on some notes I made for class today. I'm going to start with a lecture on my favorite Greek tragedy, Medea." She blinked as Sasuke eyed her suspiciously. "Do you know the tale of Medea, Sasuke-san?"

"She was a witch whose husband left her for a princess, and to get revenge, she killed his wife, his wife's father, and then the children she had with the ex-husband." He arched an eyebrow as she smiled warmly. "But why such a violent tale so early in the semester?"

"Well, Naruto said start with something interesting." Her cheeks turned a soft pink, her eyes falling back to the notebook. "And he said I should start the semester off letting the students know I wasn't here to play games. I m-mean, I look meek and timid, but I won't stand for them behaving rudely towards me."

He nodded in understanding. "Well, I'm sure once you read Medea to them, they'll get the message loud and clear. Why is this your favorite Greek tragedy?"

She closed her notebook gently, finally lifting her eyes back to his. "Well, she is a woman scorned, and in order to get even with her husband, she goes through a lot of ordeal. Before the events of the play, you learn that Jason, her husband, was sent on a quest, and if it were not for Medea, he wouldn't have survived. She even cut up her brother and threw the pieces away so that they could escape together. When they were exiled from their homeland, Medea was okay with it because she had him and their children. And then, he took a new wife, with the excuse that he was doing it for their children, and she was devastated. So... she got even. Albeit, she did a horrible, horrible thing, but it was a show of her strength and power, and she knew it was what would hurt Jason the most. She didn't even allow him to bury their bodies – she flew off in a chariot with them."

Sasuke arched an eyebrow. "Can you even call that a happy ending?"

"Well, in a way, yes. She got what she wanted – revenge – and was able to escape mostly unharmed. What I find so interesting however is that she is not a hero, not in the traditional sense anyway. We see heroes as gallant, honorable people, and especially in the Grecian world, strong, muscular men. There are very few women who get violent – cruel maybe, but not gory violence. But Medea can't be counted as a hero, even though she is the one whom people sympathize with the most. In all honesty, Jason is her victim and Medea his aggressor. Yet he loses, and she wins, and everyone is satisfied with the ending."

Sasuke smirked. "So you're going to start the semester with girl power."

She blushed, then laughed softly, nodding. "I guess so. I didn't realize it would sound like that, but yes, I guess I will."

"Well, more power to you then."

* * *

_A/N: Let's make it clear right here and now, however, that I do not want any character bashing. I'm going to guarantee you right here and now that Sakura will be a bit overbearing to Sasuke, and that's because she worries. Naruto will be more laid back, and that's because he knows Sasuke would never go back to that lifestyle, but Sakura is a doctor and she's seen patients relapse. Before you send me that review calling Sakura a bitch, remember that a man she cares dearly for, has almost died three times._

_Okay, now that that's out of the way, please send me reviews! I want to hear your opinions and critiques! If you think I can improve on something, don't hesitate to tell me! I'm trying to write the best story possible, and I want you guys to read it over and over again. Keep your dreams close ~A Dreamer Always_


	5. Chapter 5

_**A/N**: Okay, so here's my excuse: I don't keep track of time very well. In fact, I for sure thought I'd have everything ready to go, like most of the chapter was written up and it was heading a totally different direction than this one takes, and I was like "cool, cool, everything seems p legit" and then I suddenly decided I didn't like the chapter, saw some kind of weird light in the back of my closet, and got lost in Narnia for like a couple of weeks. Totally understandable, right? Right. _

_Oh man, I can feel the hate my future editor will have for me. ("What do you mean you got sidetracked IN NARNIA") But, moving on. This chapter took a totally DIFFERENT approach than I was expecting the story to go. I was thinking snap shots of Sasuke and Hinata slowly falling in love over chalkboards and grading homework, and this does not suggest that. I generally try and involve a lot of the other characters 'cause they're p fun to write (p = pretty. sorry if I'm confusing anyone with my slang) so getting Hanabi involved (the age difference between the two sisters is HUGE b-t-dubs) was my intention from the beginning, but I like the way this turned out._

**_Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, otherwise I wouldn't be writing fanfiction about it._**

* * *

**Chapter Five: Photographs Hide A Lot of Things No One Remembers  
**

"Uchiha-sensei," a girl, one of the "pretty" girls, in his class, raised her hand suddenly, cutting him off mid-lecture. Sasuke lowered his camera, trying not to heave a sigh as she fluttered her false lashes at him. She stood from her seat and placed her hands on the top of her desk, leaning forward to show off her cleavage in her blouse. "Well, you see, we just wanted to know why you decided to become a photography teacher instead going back to being a photographer?"

"You mean why I didn't continue professionally?" At her enthusiastic nod, he noticed that the rest of the class had gone silent, anticipating his answer. It was only his third class of the day, he had three more to go, along with attending the first Yearbook club meeting, which met every Wednesday. That meant he was going to be staying after school an extra hour to hang out with some kids he knew nothing about, and teach them how to take decent action shots so that they could get nicer yearbooks.

"That lifestyle was bad for me," he stated simply, attempting to turn back to the board, but seeing his students confused faces, he resigned himself to explaining a bit more. "I became a professional when I was young, and I made some really terrible decisions. So I decided to quit and focus on just myself and instead of trying to make enough money for... a luxurious lifestyle." He had to stop himself from saying anything drug-related. Naruto had told him the Board of Directors hadn't been very keen on letting him teach, but if they knew about his drug habits from years ago, they'd kick him out in a heartbeat.

The girl tilted her head in what she must of thought was an attractive pose, her voice high and questioning. "So... does that mean you won't ever go back to being professional?"

He paused, eying her suspiciously. "What with the twenty fu-fricking questions? I'm trying to teach a class here, not tell my life story. Please sit down and allow me to finish my lecture, okay?"

The girl seated herself slowly, pouting. "Well, you're the first interesting teacher we've had in a long time! You're so... mysterious and everything, we just wanted to figure out what was going on inside your head all the time!"

"When will I be allowed to go home and sleep is usually at the forefront of my mind." He lifted his camera up as his students laughed. "Okay, now that we've covered everything there is to know about me, can we please get back to the lecture?"

.

.

He spotted Hinata's sister the same way he had spotted her cousin, only with less drama and more oh-shit. Hyuga Hanabi didn't hold the lovely, silky grace her older sister did, but there was presence to the teenager. She was slim and athletically built, with that glossy dark hair that flowed down past her shoulders in a thick curtain. Her expression was severe, her posture impeccably straight, her attitude one of prestige. All the markings of a little rich-girl. Not that he could honestly say anything, because as a child, he had been a little rich-boy, albeit with no parents to spoil him.

He blinked as those pupil-less eyes landed on him, piercing him straight through. Hanabi slammed a hand on her hip, her bright red nail polish clearly against dress code, not that he, or even Naruto, gave two shits for how the girls painted their nails, her clearly shortened skirt – also against dress code, but honestly, it was a moot point – and hair swishing with her dramatic walk up the hallway. If he weren't just standing inside the doorway of his next classroom, he might have turned on his heel and avoided this whole dramatic affair, because Hanabi had the whole damn hallway watching her. This is was not going to end well for him, he could feel it.

He eyed her warily as she stopped in front of him. "Hello. Can I help you?"

Hanabi held up a small digital camera, and he quickly approved of her choice, as it was one of the better cameras on the market today. "I'm a member of the school newspaper, Hyuga Hanabi. In fact, I'm an editor. I hear you're supposed to drop by today and teach us how to use our cameras better, Uchiha-sensei."

Oh, well, that was less dramatic than he was expecting. "Yes. I am. Why, do you have questions for me?"

She brought her camera up to her eye and he stiffened as she snapped a quick series of photos, before lowering it and looking through the photos. "Well, I was supposed to interview you. We always interview new teachers, every single one of them. It keeps our pages filled. Despite this being one of the best private schools in the country, the lives of our students is boring as hell. We're mostly made up of editorials and opinion columns. Last year, we had a first-year start up a comic strip. I don't know what we're gonna do when he leaves..."

He bobbed his head. "Huh. That's a shame."

She arched an eyebrow at him, lifting her head long enough to look at him before she returned her gaze back to the camera. "You're not going to become our new club adviser, are you? Because that would kind of blow this interview out of the water."

"No. God no. As if I could write an article. Shit, I barely read the news as it is."

She snapped a picture before he could wipe the grimace off his face, and her smirk was smug. "Oh, okay. I was gonna ask my sister to do it, actually. You know, Hyuga Hinata? You can't miss her, considering we look similar."

"I sit across from her in the teacher's lounge." Was he allowed to say anything about the teacher's lounge? He wasn't sure, but now that it was out in the open, what did it matter? Didn't students come into the teacher's lounge all the time, asking for help or being scolded for not taking better care of their studies.

Hanabi cocked her head. "She told me. She thinks you're a cool guy. Taciturn, but cool." Her gaze sharpened suddenly. "But don't get cocky because she thinks that of you. A lot of guys think because she's so sweet, my sister is someone they can jerk around on a chain, and that isn't the case. I'll sic Neji-niisan on you."

He furrowed his brow. "What the hell, brat? Where do you get off telling me –"

"I'm gonna tell on you for cussing in the hallway." She smirked when he sucked in a breath, his glare heated. "Just a warning. It's only been week since school started, but everyone says you and onee-san spend lunch together. Neji-niisan says to keep an out for you – says you smell like trouble."

Sasuke bristled, scowling at her. "Who the hell does he think he is? And why the hell does he know about me?"

"That should be obvious, onee-san told him." Hanabi raised her eyebrows as he sighed loudly, folding his arms. "Why are you so agitated? I thought you didn't give two shits for what people thought of you."

He frowned as she took more pictures of him. "Are you doing this to get a rise out of me?"

"Mmmm, maybe."

"Oh my god – get out of my face, kid." He turned away and stalked back into the classroom, checking his watch for the time. Five minutes before class started and he wasn't in the mood to teach a bunch of rowdy teenagers how to hold a camera properly. "Look, Hanabi... chan, I don't have time to deal with you."

"You don't use honorifics often, do you?"

"No, I don't. Now leave, please. You have exactly five minutes to get to your next class."

"This is my next class."

He swallowed a expletive as he shot her a glare over his shoulder. "Are you going to mock me all class period, or are we actually going to get along?"

"I'm a very serious student when I get down to it. Otou-sama would never expect anything less than one-hundred percent on any test." She perched herself on the bland desk at the front of the room he was supposed to sit at, looking through the digital library on her camera. "He's been that way since okaa-san died. I think onee-san had it worse than me. She was really timid when she was younger, and because of her timidity, she would never ask the teacher for help, so she would get low scores – low scores being average. Otou-sama would get upset with her, tell her he was disappointed and all that shit. I think that's why onee-san became a teacher, because she could help students who were like her find their niche."

Sasuke turned away from writing his assignment on the board, eying her. "Why are you telling me all this?"

Hanabi stared at him, her large hooded eyes revealing nothing. "You seem like you can relate."

He paused, then looked away, shaking his head. "My parents died when I was nine. I went to this academy until middle school, and then my... guardian moved me away. I... didn't have the luxury of a parent expecting a lot of me."

"Oh." Hanabi stayed quiet for a moment, bobbing her head at the students who began to wander in to the class. "So... can I put that in the article about you?"

He sighed loudly, turning to face her with a stern expression. "No. I'll do the interview with you later, okay? Just go take your seat so I can do attendance already."

.

.

"Oh, Uchiha-san, why are you here?"

Sasuke turned away from Hanabi and looked to Hinata walking into the club room, a small room that held five desktop computers and a long table to seat eight students, half of which were graduating this year. "I'm apparently the hottest topic on campus."

Hanabi smirked at Hinata's quizzical expression. "I was interviewing Uchiha-sensei for the paper, and a lot of the questions he has to answer are from female students asking about his love life and previous career as a professional photographer."

He sighed, sitting back in his seat. "What I wouldn't give for a cigarette right now." He shot Hanabi a look as she lifted her camera again. "No, you can't put that in your article either."

Hinata set her large tote bag on the table and pulled out her laptop, smiling warmly at them. "Well, I must thank you for sitting down with Hanabi-chan, Uchiha-san, for this interview. I know you must be tired after spending all day on your feet, but she is very grateful to you."

Hanabi rolled her eyes at Hinata's back. "You don't have to thank him for me, onee-san. I already did."

"Well, as the new club adviser of the school newspaper, I have to do my fair share of thanking people, Hanabi-chan." Hinata grinned as Hanabi turned to face her, her eyebrows arched in slight surprise. Apparently Hanabi didn't emote a lot. "Naruto-kun approved me to be the club adviser."

Sasuke was quickly forgotten as the other students immediately crowded around Hinata, their voices high with excitement. He watched quietly as they clamored over themselves, thanking her profusely.

Hanabi turned back to him, smirking. "Well, I think we're done here, Uchiha-sensei. Thank you for your cooperation. I will make sure to write only good things about you."

He rolled his eyes, standing from his seat. "Yeah, whatever. Just try not to spill all my dirty secrets, alright?"

"What secrets. You didn't tell me anything!" She waved him away and he shook his head, leaving the class room.

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_**A/N:** Did that end weird? I couldn't think how to end it properly, but this is all I thought up for the chapter so... Well, whatever. It was p good, right? Look at Hanabi, spilling all of Hinata's secrets! I think I'll keep up this slowly revealing stuff thing. I like it. Keeps you guys on edge. And it makes for longer reviews. Speaking of which - Please review this story! I love hearing all your reactions! Especially since I've been gone for so long! Oh yeah, Happy Holidays to all you guys! Thank you for reading! **Keep your dreams close to your heart ~ A Dreamer Always**_


	6. Chapter 6

_A/N: Wowza, wowza, wowza. Is this a chapter on time for once? Who'd have thunk? And you didn't have to wait a whole month to get it either! I feel like I'm on a roll lately. But that might just be because I've had a lot of free time. I'm also currently debating if I want to continue with college, or follow the route of a few of my friends and just work for a while, get some actual money into my bank account and then attempt to gain an education. However, I think I'll stick with the education part because that's where my future is. My future is in books, which educate people, even if they're fictional. So yeah._

_Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter! I got a review from a very lovely guest reviewer who said I was really good at pulling on Sasuke's heartstrings whenever Hinata came into view, so I figured, we'll run with that. But Hanabi will still play a somewhat major role in hooking these two up because, let's face it, these two lovebirds are not exactly the coolest of birds. And Neji will be the hawk that literally circles them, looking for a chance to tear Sasuke limp from limp for teaching Hinata. In other words, it'll be hella fun, so hold onto your hats!_

* * *

**Chapter Six: The Camera Doesn't Pretend Very Well**

Naruto told him he was allowed to take the class no more than one hundred meters away from school campus without explicit permission from him. Technically, the field was one-hundred and twenty meters away from the Academy, but it was the closest place that he could think of for his students to get some decent shots. It was a gorgeous day – the sky was blue, the air was fresh, and the water in the little creek was clear. It was picturesque. There was no way in hell his students would be able to fuck up a simple project like this.

He watched the twenty uniformed teenagers amble around the high grass, holding their cameras and glancing around at the openness. For a moment, his mind flashed back to his days doing shit like this professionally. When he would drag a model onto a set, maybe even a naturally picturesque scene like this, dressed in some kind of bizarre outfit that was supposed to give the photo some depth, some meaning to the environment – maybe she would just be naked, baring her body to her creator, Mother Earth – and snapping hundreds of shots, trying to find something that felt right. Those times, when he was usually high off his ass, trembling with barely concealed mania, his mind filled with so many jumbled ideas, half of which he would never dream of doing in a sober state, had felt like the times when he was a true artist. Maybe the critics believed he was, but he was starting to see that it was all a bunch of bullshit and he should get this idea of grandeur out of his head real fucking quick.

Hanabi walked up to him, and everyone noticed her not-so-pleasant expression. She stopped a few feet before him, folded her arms across her chest and stood with her feet shoulder-width apart, arching an eyebrow. "Okay, as nice as it is to not be sitting on my ass, what's going on, Uchiha-sensei?"

He glanced at her, checking the settings on his own camera and wondering if it was something he should also include in the lecture. "Does your father know you swear like a sailor?"

"My father believes me to be a well-rounded young woman with high credentials. Whether or not my mouth is foul is my own damn business." She flicked her head, and her hair draped itself carefully behind her shoulder. In the sunlight, he could now tell that it was a deep, dark brown, and his mind immediately began to wonder if Hinata's was the same shade. By her pale skin and soft eyes, it didn't appear that she got out into the sun too much, but now he wanted to see her standing beneath it, maybe on a beach, her bare feet covered in sand, dressed in a thin yukata, maybe even without an obi, a salty breeze blowing her hair out to sea...

Hanabi frowned. "Are you gonna answer my question or not?"

"Look, Hyuga-chan, I'm going to start the lesson. But just give your classmates a few minutes to enjoy the fresh air, okay?" When she rolled her eyes, he sighed. "Fine. If everyone could gather around me, please."

Once he was sure everyone was where they were supposed to be, he cleared his throat and held aloft his camera, immediately capturing their attention. If there was one thing he was grateful for, it was that his students knew that he took no bullshit, and that meant shut up and listen when the lesson started. "So, we've spent the past two weeks discussing the different types of photography, right? Who can name some for me?"

A hand shot up, a smart girl short, bobbed hair with glasses. He pointed to her and she immediately replied with, "Commercial photography."

"Good. Some more." He kept pointing to students as they fired off answers.

"Artistic."

"Adventure!"

"Black and white!"

"We're doing a scenic photo shoot," Hanabi stated when he pointed to her. She gestured around her, vaguely capturing the entirety of the field. "You brought us out here so we could do our own scenic shots."

Sasuke shot her a look. "Okay, Hyuga-chan. Would you like to teach this lesson since you seemed to know so much about it?"

She folded her arms, shrugging. "Well, it's true."

Rolling his eyes, he returned his attention back to the group. "Yes, we are doing a scenic photoshoot. These are generally pretty easy to do, at least, I don't believe they take a lot of effort. However, there are a lot of ways you can fuc –you can mess them up. It's all about your subject for the photograph. Remember what I told you about subject... Hyuga-chan?"

Hanabi glared at him, dutifully replying with, "The subject of your photograph should be a concrete idea. This subject doesn't always have to be a person or object – it can be a place or a color. As long as the viewer can see it, and understand that it is the focus of the entire photograph."

He nodded, smirking at her glower. "Very good, Hyuga-chan. I suppose you aren't here just to get on my nerves. So, today, I want all of you to pick a subject for your photo. I don't care what you use, be it a person, like one of your fellow students, or an object, like a piece of litter that has been left behind, or even a cloud in the sky. Pick something to be your photo's subject, and take as many pictures as you can of it. Do it far away, do it up close, get as many angles as you can. Then pick three of your favorites. Tonight, I want you to print them out, and bring them to class with you tomorrow." He quickly ran over how to find the optimal settings for outdoor photography before waving a hand and dismissing them. "Go."

As the students scampered away, Hanabi stared at him. "Neji-niisan did some research on you, Uchiha-sensei."

Sasuke blinked, turning to face her with an arched eyebrow. "Okay."

"He says that with what he found, he ought to report you." She bowed her head, fiddling with her little digital camera.

He stared her down, his jaw clenching as he spoke through his teeth. "First of all, tell 'Neji-niisan' to get off my fucking back. I don't know who he thinks he is, but he has no right to judge me this way. Second of all – why are you telling me this?"

Hanabi looked at him through her lashes, and for a second, he had a flash of Hinata standing in front of him, doing the same. The way Hanabi curled in on herself, her shoulders sloped, her head bowed, the way she nervously fiddled with her fingers, and watched him from such a low angle reminded him of Hinata and it was almost – touching to see how related they were. He supposed it was something he should have expected, being that they were close siblings, but they just barely resembled each other. Hanabi had inherited the same big, hooded eyes as Hinata had, but she was built differently than her sister. She resembled Neji more than she did Hinata.

Clearing her throat, she glanced around the field, trying to appear nonchalant as she spoke. "Well, onee-san keeps mentioning you. And there was an incident, a while back, where the men onee-san was into weren't very... reputable. So Neji-niisan is extra cautious about her now. He hasn't told her what he knows, and the only reason I know is because he happened to leave his laptop open so that I could see what he had researched. You know, for being a somewhat famous guy, it's hard to find stuff about you."

Sasuke sighed loudly, running a hand through his hair as he kept his eyes on the students, slowly turning in place to make sure no one was trying to run off and ditch class. "I paid some people to make it that way. I... didn't want my drug use to get in the way of my life after all the bullshit that had happened. It's kind of necessary for me to mention on my resume though." He jammed his hands into the pockets of his faded jeans, which were only made to look that way. They were actually designer and cost more than what was reasonable, but he had bought them anyway. "I lived an extravagant life – the headlines I made then would make it hard for me to live normally now."

Hanabi kicked at a rock with her shoe, before bending down to look at it. "You should know that I'm rooting for you, sensei."

"Rooting for me how? And for what?"

She lifted her camera to her eye, snapping off a few shots of the misplaced rock, her voice soft. "I think onee-san really enjoys your company."

"I should hope so. Sitting across from each other would make it really awkward if not otherwise."

She looked up at him, her glare having no heat. "I meant she enjoys your company besides just working. She says you're fun to talk to." Hanabi stood and walked toward a patch of wild flowers near the creek, gurgling happily. "I'll tell Neji-niisan to mind his own business, but I honestly don't think I can keep him away for very long. I think you'll have to deal with him eventually."

.

.

Hinata sighed, setting her textbook and paperwork on her down desk a soft thud. "It's been such a long day."

Sasuke glanced up from the quizzes he should have had graded two days ago to see Hinata rub her neck, grimacing. She was dressed in a slate-blue cardigan over a lace-trimmed camisole, her silky hair left down with only a black clip to keep it out of her eyes. She dressed so simply in blouses and slacks, and yet every time he looked at her, not even a model in the latest haute couture could hold his attention. He had spent half his morning imagining running his fingers through those dark strands, trying to determine if her hair was a deep brown like her sister's. After a moment of mindlessly watching her, he eventually spit out, "Every day is a long day. I'm constantly wanting to be in bed asleep."

She dragged her fingers through her hair, gently tugging at the knots that had accumulated by the end of the day, her soft pale eyes crinkling in the corners with her smile. The urge to tunnel his fingers through her hair grew stronger the longer he watched. "Sleeping seems to be all you do, Uchiha-san."

"I eat occasionally," he shrugged, dragging his gaze back to the answer sheet front of him. The words swam before his eyes, his attention now focused solely on the woman before him. God, when had he become so pathetic? "Oh, and I take pictures of cool stuff."

She laughed gently, tucking the hem of her pencil skirt beneath her knees and carefully seating herself in the swivel chair. "I wish I could be as carefree as you are. But TenTen-chan would never allow me to sleep any later than noon."

He paused in his grading, once again lifting his eyes to hers. "Why does TenTen give a damn about your sleeping patterns?"

"TenTen-chan is my roommate," she replied, smiling warmly. "She is also dating my cousin, Neji-niisan."

"Were you at least roommates with her _before_ she and Neji got together? Because that seems super awkward to walk in on your cousin and your friend making out on your sofa, like, 'Hey, future-sister-in-law, what would you like to eat tonight? Or should we just order out?'" He propped his chin in his hand, arching an eyebrow as she flushed and giggled. "Or even just walking into your place, and seeing your cousin leaving and thinking, 'They just had sex.'"

"What the hell are you talking about?" Shikamaru asked, finally turning away from his own paperwork to look at Sasuke with a mildly annoyed expression. "Did I just hear the word 'sex'? In the teacher's lounge no less?"

"And what if you did, Nara?" Sasuke shot back, arching an eyebrow, daring the man to do something to him. Hinata giggled softly across from him. "What are you gonna do about it? Reprimand me like a student? Oh, I'm so scared of you, _Nara-sensei_."

"Let me grade in peace, dammit."

Sasuke smirked as Shikamaru rolled his eyes, turning away finally. "Yeah, I knew you weren't gonna do anything."

Hinata picked up a purple pen, the corners of her mouth trembling as she tried to contain her smile. "I don't think Nara-san has a mean bone in his body. I hear students rather enjoy chatting with him."

"Yeah, but they still make me do paperwork," Shikamaru grumbled, shooting a look toward them. "Oh, before I forget to mention it, Ino wants to get all the teachers together again, for some kind of barbeque at her place, this Sunday. I don't know what she wants, but I usually go along for the free food."

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Didn't we get in trouble for the last 'get-together' she threw?"

"Yeah, but this time, there won't be beer involved."

Hinata began sorting through her papers, her fingers nimbly skimming over the pages. "I would like to go, if that's alright." She glanced up to Sasuke, and her smile made his stomach warm, then twist. "What about you, Uchiha-san?"

He could feel Shikamaru's gaze on him, knew the man was thinking about Sasuke couldn't possibly say no to the resident sweetheart. And goddammit, he was right. "Sure, I haven't had any unsupervised conversation in awhile." He looked away from Hinata's beaming smile, because it felt too much like he were looking directly into the sun.

* * *

A/N: Awwww, Sasuke, you're so damn precious! Look at you fawning over the woman of your dreams! Hurry up and kiss her already! Oh, wait... I'm the one writing the story, aren't I? Maybe they'll kiss some time soon, hmm? We're already 6 chapters in, so some love should start coming through. I like this slow progression. Maybe Sasuke will trip over his feet in front of Hinata, stutter like a dweeb and she'll call him adorable. I've done that shit before. Oh man, when he blushed... Anyway, I basically live in an anime and all y'all is jealous of me.

Like always, my lovely darlings, please review after you've read the chapter! I want to know your thoughts, your opinions, your greatest desires for this story! I want to know how I can improve! And, please, tell me what other anime I should write fanfiction for! I've been writing too much Naruto - I need to mix it up a bit? What other manga/anime/book/series would you like to see me explore? I honestly don't mind your suggestions. Keep your dreams close ~ A Dreamer Always


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